The 50 top female singer-songwriters

Tottenham-born singer Adele Adkins got her big break after a friend posted her demo on social networking site MySpace in 2006. Her debut album, 19, was certified four times platinum in the UK, but it was the follow up, 21, which has established the 24-year-old as a global star, selling over 25 million copies to date. Adele most recently released the eponymous soundtrack to the James Bond film, Skyfall.